Habitat: Native to Eurasia. Extremely competitive crowding out many native and desirable plants, invading millions of acres of semi-arid rangeland. Appears more commonly on high shrink-swell clay soils. Infested rangelands have suffered up to 75% reductions in grazing capacity. Introduces fire into non-fire prone ecosystems. Control of small, isolated infestations is critical.

Distribution: Medusahead grass is found throughout the interior northern California region in disturbed areas.